


Bite Mark

by Katnerys



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Amputation, Emotionally Hurt Steve Rogers, Gen, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Probably scientifically inaccurate, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-02 01:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10205771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katnerys/pseuds/Katnerys
Summary: Steve and Bucky have been surviving the apocalypse the same way they have everything else, together. But when the unthinkable happens, Steve has to face the possibility of doing it alone. One thing that's certain, he's not letting Bucky die without a fight.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! A zombie-apocalypse au, because that's not cliche at all. Still, I enjoyed writing it. Most likely, this story is going to end up being two fairly long chapters. Just a warning, as this is a zombie-apocalypse au, it does get a bit gory at some parts. The second section of this chapter in particular is a bit bloody, so skip it if you're not about that kind of thing.

Going to the edge of the city was something neither Steve nor Bucky had been too keen on. Being closer to the city means more people, and whether infected or not, people pose a significant threat. The two had quickly fled to the country when the plague started and at first it had served them well, but once their supplies started to dwindle, they’d been forced to venture out into more populated areas again to recover more. Today they’re on one such trip. They still have a decent stock left, but both agreed they’d rather replenish their stores before things get critical. 

 

Today it’s a convenience store, still a few miles from the the city, located on a stretch of abandoned highway. More than likely it’s already been picked clean, but maybe they can find  _ something _ useful. There’s not much activity around the place, so at least their little scouting trip shouldn’t be too risky. Of course, they aren’t taking any chances. Steve glances over at Bucky, who’s got his handy Mossberg 12 Gauge on hand. Steve’s hands wander to the pistol in his side holster, but he hopes he won’t have to use it. Truth be told, Bucky’s by far the superior marksman of the two, which is why Steve leaves the big guns to him. The pair exchange a glance, but by now they’re perfectly clear on how this goes. Steve goes in and scavenges, Bucky provides his cover. It’s system they’ve been using for a long time, and it hasn’t failed them yet.  

 

Steve goes in and starts to look around, though as expected the place is pretty picked over. Aside from some empty beer cans and a toppled over display of “I Heart New York” magnets, there doesn’t seem to be much here. Steve’s pretty sure it’s going to be a total waste until he ventures into the bathroom and oh, perfect. He busts into the supply cabinet under the sick and finds several rolls of toilet paper that for some reason no one’s thought to take yet. Steve excitedly deposits the bounty in his backpack. It’s not much, but in their current world, small luxuries like toilet paper become intrinsically valuable. He’s just zipping the pack up and slinging it over his shoulder when he hears the sounds of a scuffle and a sharp yelp. Shit.

 

He runs to the front of the store, where Bucky’s on the ground, shotgun beside him and a zombie crawling over him. Steve pounds his foot against an empty display case and the noise has the thing raising it’s head to glare at him. Steve wastes no time in emptying several shots into it’s head, and Bucky rolls the body off of him, pushing to his feet and grabbing his gun.

 

“Bastard came out of nowhere”, Bucky mutters as Steve rushes over to him. He looks okay except...Steve’s heart misses a beat. 

 

“Buck…”, he says, “you’re bleeding.”

 

Bucky glances at the sleeve of his jacket, which has been torn open and blood is oozing from a wound just above his elbow. There’s several shards of shattered glass that must’ve come from the sliding doors on the ground, blood pooling on the area. Bucky could’ve cut himself on them, or...

 

“Shit”, Bucky says what Steve’s thinking.

 

“Was it….?”

 

“I don’t know”, Bucky replies, “but if there are others nearby, they’ll have heard the shots and be on us if we don’t get out of here now.”

 

Steve agrees and the two haul ass out of there, Bucky squeezing his wound in effort to help slow the bleeding. 

-

They make it back to their hideout, an old, boarded up rest stop, in record time. Steve deposits his bag on the ground and quickly grabs a first aid kit. Bucky’s already peeling off his jacket, then rolling up his sleeve to expose the wound. Steve’s throat tightens, but he reminds himself not to panic. It might not be a bite, Bucky isn’t sure and the wound’s too messy right now to tell. He offers Bucky a reassuring smile before wiping the area off. It takes him a second to clear enough of the blood to get a better look, and when he does his stomach twists. It’s the unmistakable pattern of a human bite mark. No. This can’t be happening.

 

“Steve”, Bucky’s looking at it too, he knows.

 

“Oh God”, Steve gasps. Not Bucky. Please not Bucky.

 

“Cut it off”, Bucky says.

 

“What?”

 

“The arm. Cut if off. If it hasn’t spread yet then…”

 

“Bucky, I…”

 

“Please”, Bucky begs, “cut it off. Either that or kill me now.”

 

Steve frowns. There’s few things he wants to do less than hacking off Bucky’s arm, but since putting a bullet in his head happens to be one of those things, he nods and starts gathering supplies. When he’s got what he needs, he returns to Bucky’s side and his breath catches in his throat, because he’s really not sure he can do this.

 

“It’s okay”, Bucky says, holding out his injured arm, “just do it Steve.”

 

Steve sighs. “I think it’d be easier if I….if I broke it first. The bone, I mean.”

 

“Go for it.”

 

Steve finds a good heavy rock and slips it under Bucky’s arm. God, he doesn’t want to do this. He puts one foot on Bucky’s wrist and raises the other, flashing Bucky an apologetic look before bringing it down with all his might. The pressure of his foot combined with the leverage from the rock works just as intended. There’s a sickening crack and Bucky let’s out a harsh cry of pain. Steve cringes. 

 

“Buck”, he hisses, “sh...if there’s any zombies around, they’re gonna hear you screaming and be all over us.”

 

But really, what is Steve doing, asking Bucky to quiet down when he’s just had his damn arm snapped like a twig. Steve grabs a clean pair of socks and shoves them into Bucky’s mouth. 

 

“Sorry”, Steve says sympathetically. He can easily tell where Bucky’s bone is broken and ties a tourniquet just above the area he intends to cut. The he grabs the sharpest blade he can find, and hesitates for a moment, but Bucky’s eyes meet his, intense, begging him to continue. Steve takes a deep breath, steels himself and starts cutting. 

 

However bad he imagined it would be, actually doing it is a million times worse. He hacks away at skin and muscle, blood spurting from the wound and horrible, muffled cries coming from Bucky’s mouth.

 

“I’m sorry”, Steve says, but he knows he has to keep going. It’s agony, sawing through Bucky’s flesh. He can hardly believe it when he’s actually done, when he pulls on what remains of Bucky’s arm and it moves completely separate from the rest. He doesn’t stop to consider the detached limb, instead bunching up a clean t-shirt and pressing it against the bloody stump protruding from Bucky’s shoulder. For his part, Bucky’s white as a sheet, his eyes glassy and breaths coming out hitched as he starts choking on the socks in his mouth. Steve yanks them out and Bucky shudders, making a horrible gagging sound before his body’s expelling his stomach contents all over the floor. 

 

“Holy shit”, he says through ragged breaths, “you actually fucking did it.”

-

It’s hours later that Steve finally gets around to cleaning the place up. He’d managed to quell the bleeding enough to wrap the wound, and now Bucky’s slumped against the wall in the corner, panting and covered in sweat. Steve wishes he could do more to help with the pain, but all he had was some advil, which he gave to Bucky, despite it being woefully inadequate. He’s not sure what exactly to do about the arm, and in the end, he wraps it in a blanket and disposes  of it in the woods a fair ways away from their hideout.

 

When Steve returns, Bucky’s either drifted off to sleep or passed out from the pain. Steve sits down beside him and opens one of the energy drinks they’d gotten from an abandoned gas station a while back. He’s going to need it, since he doesn’t intend on sleeping and risking waking up to find Bucky dead. So he settles in, and waits.

-

Bucky comes to the next morning, groaning.

 

“Fuck”, he hisses, hand gingerly probing the stump of his left arm.

 

“Don’t mess with it”, Steve gently tugs his hand away.

 

“Shit Steve”, Bucky moans, “this fucking sucks.”

 

“I know.” And Steve does know. He really does know. He’s lucky Bucky didn’t go into shock sometime during the night. Even surviving the initial injury, there’s no guarantee it won’t get infected and then they’ll be screwed. And losing an arm is going to be a serious detriment to Bucky’s abilities going forward. Most of his firearms require more than one hand to shoot. If things get sticky, he’s going to have a hell of a time trying to defend himself...But worrying about that is probably getting ahead of themselves, because there’s no guarantee the virus hadn’t already spread, that it isn’t raging through Bucky’s system right now. For a moment, Steve’s overwhelmed, feels like he’s suffocating. This is it, isn’t it? He’s going to lose Bucky, the only person he has left. What will he do? How will he go on? They’ve lost everything. Bucky’s the only reason he has to keep going. If he loses him…

 

No. He can’t think like that. Bucky’s not dead yet, and as long as he’s alive, there’s hope. If he can’t protect himself then fine, Steve will protect them both. If he gets an infection, Steve will use every last bit of supplies they have trying to fight it. And if he has the virus, well...Okay. That’s the one scenario Steve doesn’t have an answer for. Best not to think about it too much. 

 

“It’s gonna be okay”, he assures Bucky, “we’re gonna be okay.”

-

Bucky has about a day long period of improvement. He’s alert, he’s up and about, still in pain but able to push through it. Steve decides then maybe they should move on, there’s not much left they haven’t already picked clean in the area, and there’s more than likely a trail of blood leading right to them. 

 

It’s slow going, and Bucky has to stop and rest frequently, which Steve honestly doesn’t mind, since he’s the one carrying most of their supplies. He’s also tasked with making sure Bucky stays hydrated, and every so often changing his bandages too. So far, the wound doesn’t seem infected, so at least they have that going for them.

 

Fate doesn’t seem to have any intention of giving them another one though, because during that afternoon, dark clouds start rolling in and pretty soon, they’re in the middle of a heavy downpour.

 

“Are you shitting me?” Bucky grumbles. 

 

They have to keep going through the good part of the evening, because staying outside at the moment isn’t an option. Preferably, they can find something before it gets too dark. 

 

Their salvation comes in the form of a downed radio tower, which, fortunately for them, had the decency to fall on the side opposite the tiny building beside it. It’s not going to be the most comfortable place to stay, but it’s better than nothing. 

 

Steve easily breaks the lock and they shuffle inside. The walls are covered in a variety of machinery, a somewhat baffling display of random knobs and buttons. Still, there’s enough floor space for them to fit their sleeping bags, so it’ll do for now. The spare clothes they dig out of their packs are somewhat damp from the bags having been soaked through, but it’s still better than the sopping wet garments they’ve been wearing. Steve has to help Bucky get changed, and for a moment his heart sinks at the realization that this is their life now, but he quickly pushes it away. There’s time for that later. 

 

Dinner is a protein bar. Not exactly fine dining, but it’s far too wet outside for a fire. Bucky doesn’t seem to mind, he clearly doesn’t have much of an appetite anyway. They’re both exhausted at that point, and eventually they decide to unzip their sleeping bags, using Steves as padding between them and the floor and draping Bucky’s over themselves like a blanket. Bucky falls asleep almost instantly. Steve lies awake a little while longer. He’d prefer to stay awake and keep an eye on Bucky through the night, but he’s already missed one night of sleep, and he’s no use to either of them if he’s collapsing of exhaustion, so he decides to rest. Bucky’s pressed up against him, and Steve takes a minute to enjoy the feeling, to know there’s someone beside him, he’s not alone. Eventually, he lets it lull him into a much needed sleep.

-

The rain doesn’t let up all the next day, so they’re stuck inside. Being cooped up all day is the least of Steve’s concern. He wakes up in the morning feeling uncomfortably hot, and it doesn’t take him long to realize the heat is radiating off of Bucky. He’s clearly running a fever. It could be his wound is getting infected, which is unpleasant, but...but a fever is also one of the early symptoms of the virus. Steve gives him some advil, resolves to keep him hydrated, and hopes for the best. 

-

When they are able to get going again, it’s even slower than before. Bucky’s fever didn’t break, in fact if anything it’s gotten worse, and Steve thinks it’s incredibly fucked up that he’s actually hoping Bucky’s wound is infected. They travel for several days, stopping at whatever shelter they can find each night, and Bucky continues to deteriorate. Steve knows whatever’s wrong with him, the strain of having to travel during the day is only making it worse, but they have to keep going. It’s three days after Bucky was bitten that Steve accepts they need to find a new hideout. They eventually settle on an abandoned barn, and it’s not exactly the most secure location in the world, but Bucky can’t keep going much longer. In the end, Steve decides to settle them in the hay loft. He’s not sure if zombies can climb ladders, but he figures being up high should give them at least a little bit of an advantage. Steve coaxes some dinner into Bucky, but later that night he ends up throwing it back up. The virus can take anywhere from a day to a week to fully set in, and at the moment, Steve’s not eager to play the waiting game for that long. Still, he doesn’t really have much of an option.

 

The next morning, Bucky wakes up even later than usual.

 

“S’eve”, he slurs, “where’r we?”

 

“We’re still in the barn, Buck.”

 

“Barn?”

 

“Yeah, the one we found yesterday.”

 

“Oh”, Bucky says, then his eyes close again. 

 

Steve spends the day tending to him, and he soon learns that food is a no go, but at least for the moment, Bucky’s able to keep liquids down. Steve redresses his wound, and is strangely dismayed to find it looking fairly decent. He’s not sure how much longer he can go on convincing himself that it’s an infection making Bucky sick. 

 

Bucky’s not particularly good company, he sleeps most of the day, and when he is awake, he’s too out of it to make good conversation. The next day, when Steve goes to wake him, it’s even worse. 

 

“How you feelin’ Buck?” he asks, and Bucky’s response isn’t even intelligible. He starts muttering to himself randomly during the day, and Steve realizes he’s probably delirious from the fever. 

 

“Buck”, Steve tells him that evening, “I’m going to give you some more advil, okay? Just try to keep it down if you can…”

 

He knows the advil is more or less useless, but at least he feels like he’s trying something. Otherwise it’ll be like he’s giving up completely. 

 

Bucky, predictably, doesn’t respond. Steve has to do the work for him, slipping an arm under his head to lift it up, then feeding him the pills and lifting the bottle to his mouth for him to drink from. He does swallow them down though, and Steve’s settles him back down again before crawling into his own sleeping bag. 

-

Sunlight is creeping in through the gaps in the boards that make up the barn’s ceiling when Steve opens his eyes. For a moment he’s calm, then everything that’s happened comes rushing back to him, and he immediately sits up and goes to check on Bucky. Bucky’s on his side, and Steve rolls him over to face him, and Bucky’s eyes open, but Steve freezes when he sees his friend’s face.

 

His eyes are milky and bloodshot, his pallor is a horrible greyish pale, his skin withered with darker patches creeping across parts of his face. His lips are a deep, purplish shade, and the flesh on one of his cheeks has started to shrink away, exposing his teeth. Steve yelps and jerks away, and Bucky reaches out a groping hand, the skin of it matching his face. It feels cold and unnatural as it wraps around Steve’s wrists, and he can only stare in horror.

 

“You’re one of them”, he says.

 

Bucky tugs him closer, opens his mouth and positions himself to take a bite out of Steve’s arm and suddenly Steve’s not control of his own body anymore and he can’t do anything but watch and Bucky’s about to bite down and....

 

Steve’s eyes fly open and he gasps for breath. Horrified, he rushes to Bucky’s side and Bucky is there, sleeping, alive. Steve breathes a sigh of relief. It had all been dream. The thought doesn’t comfort him all that much though, because he realizes that soon it’s not going to be. Bucky is sick. Bucky is dying. Bucky is turning into one of those...those things. 

 

Those mindless, half rotted abominations, empty shells that wander aimlessly, moaning and feasting on human flesh. Steve knows it must be a miserable existence, and he also knows what he’s going to have to do.

 

He’s going to have to kill Bucky. He knows that it’s what Bucky would want. He’d rather have a bullet in his head than be stuck living as one of those  _ things _ . He’ll do it for Bucky, but not yet. He can’t do it now. Not when Bucky’s still alive, still human. How much longer he’ll be, Steve doesn’t know. What he does know is that as long as he is, there’s no way in hell Steve’s going to pull the trigger on him. 

  
For now, there’s one thing he can do. He curls up on his sleeping bag and sobs. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I lied before when I said this was going to be 2 chapters, because now that I've written more, I've decided it's going to be 3 instead.

Somehow, all of his tears end up putting Steve to sleep again, and he’s not sure how much time has passed when he wakes up. He checks on Bucky, who’s still asleep and still alive, and is about to root around for something to eat when he hears movement. He freezes. A tree branch snaps. He grabs Bucky’s 12 gauge and aims it at the barn door. He may not be as good a shot as Bucky, but it’s going to have to do.

The barn door creaks open, and Steve pumps the shotgun and readies his finger on the trigger. A figure steps in, and when he peers up at Steve, he’s putting his hands up in surrender.

“Whoa”, he says, “easy. I’m not looking for trouble.”

Steve doesn’t drop his weapon, but he does relax slightly.

“Who are you?”

“I’m a survivor”, the man says, “like you.”

“What do you want from us”, Steve growls, “you gonna kill us and make off with our stuff.”

“No”, the man says, “I didn’t even know anyone was in here. I’m sorry. You said ‘us’. As in there’s more than one of you.”

“Got a buddy with me”, Steve replies, though Bucky doesn’t so much as stir, “and we’re really needing our supplies at the moment, so I’d appreciate it if you’d move along now.”

“I’m not interested in your supplies”, the man says, “I have plenty of my own. I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Doctor Bruce Banner. I was working out of a nearby biology lab when the plague hit.”

“You’re a doctor?” Steve raised an eyebrow, “what kind of doctor.”

“Virologist”, the man replied, “though I’ve got some medical training too. Most my co-workers fled when things started getting bad, now it’s just me and Tony.”

“You study viruses?” Steve says incredulously, “how convenient.”

“I do. And I’ve been looking for other survivors without much luck. Found a few, but the ones I’ve come across so far weren’t exactly friendly.”

“Well I’m not friendly either, pal”, Steve warns.

“Look”, the man, Doctor Banner says, “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I really do have enough of my own resources not to have any interest in taking yours. I’ve been working a lot with the Zombie virus, and I was hoping if I could start rounding up survivors, we could work together to start turning things around. My hope is to one day find a treatment, but that doesn’t do much good if I’m the only person left.”

The guy was right about one thing, Steve did have no reason to trust him. Still, what he was saying sparked Steve’s curiosity. If this man is working on a way to fight the virus, does that mean...no. He’s naive for thinking that. Developing something like that would take months if not years, and Bucky’s down to days. Still, even if it accomplished nothing, that’s no different than what Steve was accomplishing now, and maybe the guy was lying and would only go on to kill them and take their stuff, but at this point Steve’s not sure that would entirely be a bad thing. So, perhaps against his better judgement, he lowers the gun.

“If you’re a doctor”, he says, bravado melting away into desperation, “maybe you can help my friend.”

Dr. Banner’s eyes widen.

“Your friend?”

“He...he’s sick”, Steve says, voice shaking slightly.

Dr. Banner approaches the ladder.

“He’s up here with you?”

Steve nods.

“I can take a look at him, if it’s okay with you.”

“Yeah”, Steve sets the gun down, “please do…”

Dr. Banner hurries up the ladder and Steve leads him over to Bucky. Bucky’s awake now, eyes glassy as he stares at the two men.

“Steve”, he slurs, “who..who’s tha-”.

“It’s okay Bucky”, Steve says, “he says he’s a doctor. He just wants to take a look at you.”

Bucky doesn’t respond, but it doesn’t matter because he’s so out of it he seems to have forgotten what they were talking about in the first place.

“He was bitten a few days ago”, Steve explains, “it was on his arm. We-I cut it off to see if it would stop the infection from spreading. I don’t know if it’s related to the wound or if the virus had already spread by the time I got it off, but he’s been running a fever, and he can keep liquids down but not solid food. He’s been getting worse and I...I don’t know what to do for him.”

Dr. Banner puts a hand on Bucky’s head and frowns.

“I can see what all I can do”, he says, “but I’ll have to get him back to the lab.”

Steve flashes him a hesitant look.

“I know, you don’t trust me”, he sighs, “but your friend’s in bad shape. I don’t have the resources to help him out here. He needs a hospital, and I’ve got the closest thing to it.”

Steve sighs. “Yeah okay, we’ll go with you.”

At least if the guy kills them, Steve won’t have to worry about offing Bucky himself.  
-  
Getting Bucky down the ladder is tricky, but they manage, and Steve gathers up their meager supplies and loads it up in the trunk of Dr. Banner’s SUV, before slipping into the backseat. Dr. Banner offered him the passenger seat, but he refused. Bucky’s in the backseat, and if that’s where Bucky is, Steve’s there too. He lays his friend down, letting his head rest in his lap. Bucky’s well past the point of lucidity, but Steve strokes his hair anyway.

“It’s gonna be okay Buck”, he says, even though it might be more for himself than anyone.  
-  
Dr. Banner hadn’t been lying about having resources. The facility is state of the art, though the fact it’s actually located underground with an entrance disguised as a tool shed is a bit unsettling. Inside, the lights are all on, the computers and machines running, which is quite unexpected considering there hasn’t been access to electricity in a long, long time.

“Back-up generators”, Dr. Banner explains to him.

They’re halfway to the infirmary when a man comes and greets them.

“Hey big guy”, he says, “finally made some new friends, I see?”

“Tony, this is Steve and Bucky”, Dr. Banner offers, “Steve, Bucky, this is Tony Stark.”

“Tony Stark”, Steve quirks an eyebrow, “as in the billionaire?”

“The one and only.”

“Didn’t know you were a virologist”, Steve replies.

“Actually, my expertise is more technological in nature”, Tony says, “I helped design most of the tech here, not to mention funded it…”

“Tony saw promise in our work”, Dr. Banner explains, “so he helped fund the lab.”

“Well, that and I figured it would make a sweet doomsday bunker”, Tony adds, “which, hey, I was right...by the way, big guy, you know I love making friends, but why did you bring two strangers into my underground lab facility, exactly?”

“I told you”, Dr. Banner replies, “we have more than enough resources here. What’s the point of having all this stuff if we’re not going to use it to help people. There’s not much point in surviving if you’re the only people left on earth.”

“I told you”, Tony says defensively, “it’s not my fault everyone else decided to leave when things got ugly. What was that bullshit about wanting to see their families or something?”

Dr. Banner rolls his eyes before adding, “besides, Bucky is sick.”

Tony peers at Bucky and frowns. “Geez...no kidding.”

“I told Steve we would see what we could do for him.”

“Well I guess there’s room for two more”, Tony shrugs, “but you better not break anything.”

“I’ll do my best”, Steve says dryly.  
-  
The “infirmary” looks more like a small hospital, the beds are all located in separate rooms, each with a small room containing a toilet and sink. There’s a communal shower too, and Dr. Banner welcomes Steve and Bucky to use it. Steve’s not sure if he’s serious or not at first, because it’s been a long time since running water has been available.

“The facility has it’s own waste filtration system”, Dr. Banner explains, “all of the utilities filter back through it to be reused. There’s also a natural well spring nearby that provides drinking water.”

“Damn”, Steve remarks, “Stark really went all out on this place.”

“Tony Stark doesn’t half ass things”, Dr. Banner says frankly.

A hot shower is about the best damn thing Steve could’ve asked for at the moment. He hadn’t realized how much dirt and grime they’d acquired until now. Cleaning up takes a little while, since in addition to washing himself, Steve also has to help Bucky, who’s hardly able to stand on his own, let alone clean himself up. Dr. Banner gives them a change of clothes, a t-shirt and sweatpants for Steve and white scrubs for Bucky, and then he’s whisking Bucky away. Steve feels uneasy as he waits for them to return. So far Dr. Banner seems trustworthy, but Bucky’s extremely vulnerable at the moment, and Steve’s not all that thrilled at having to leave him to a stranger’s mercy.

Eventually Dr. Banner returns though, and leads Steve to one of the rooms, where Bucky’s been settled into the bed.

“I redressed his arm”, Dr. Banner explained, “but it doesn’t seem to have been in too bad of shape anyway….”

Steve supposes it should make him feel better, but it doesn’t.

“Does he…?”

“I don’t know”, Dr. Banner sighs, “I took some blood and I’m running some tests. If the virus is present in his system we’ll be able to detect it. In the meantime, I’ve hooked him up to an IV to keep him hydrated. I should have the results within a few hours. As for you, the staff quarters are on the level directly below us. There’s plenty of empty rooms, so you’re free to sleep there.”

“Thank you”, Steve sits down at the chair placed next to Bucky’s bed, “but I think I’ll stay here with Bucky for a while.”

Dr. Banner nods.

“I’ll let you know the results when I’m finished.”

With that he leaves, and it’s just Steve and Bucky. Steve’s half sure he’s going to wake up and find out this is all just a dream. They’d needed a miracle, and for the first time in a long time, they’d gotten one. He knows he shouldn’t get ahead of himself, there’s no guarantee that Dr. Banner will be able to help Bucky, but there’s at least a chance, however small.  
-  
Dr. Banner returns a few hours later, and Steve’s drifted off to sleep at that point.

“Steve”, Dr. Banner says softly.

“Huh?” Steve asks, shaking himself from his slumber.

“I have the results.”

That shook Steve out of his groggy state. “And…”

“I’m afraid your friend has been infected with the Zombie Virus.”  
And just like that, Steve’s optimism is crushed.

“I’m very sorry”, Dr. Banner continues.

“How long does he have?” Steve asks.

“I don’t know”, Dr. Banner admits, “and I’m very sorry, but once he’s changed….”

“We’ll have to kill him”, Steve finishes for him. Great. All of this was for nothing.

“I’m going to try looking into some possible treatment options”, Dr. Banner says when he sees Steve’s grief stricken expression.

“You...you think you could...help him?”

“It’s a long shot”, Dr. Banner admits, “but maybe. If not stop it then at least slow it down.”

“Thank you”, Steve’s half tempted to jump up and the hug the man.

“I...I can’t promise anything.”

“I know”, Steve says, “but at least he has more of a chance now than he did before you found us.”

Dr. Banner offers him a small smile.  
-  
Steve doesn’t leave Bucky’s side for the rest of the day. Dr. Banner brings him dinner, a bowl of some sort of veggie stew.

“Where did you get this?” Steve asks him, “it’s amazing.”

“Up on the surface”, Dr. Banner says almost shyly, “I keep a garden nearby.”

“Sounds risky.”

“It is”, he admits, “but as much food as we have down here, it won’t last forever. Besides, I find it relaxing.”

He goes to leave then, but first he turns back to Steve.

“You know”, he says, “whatever happens with your friend, you’re welcome to stay here with us. I’m hoping there might be others out there, or ways to communicate with survivors in other places. My hope is that we can start to rebuild from there. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’m going to try.”

“Thank you”, Steve says politely.

When Dr. Banner’s gone, Steve turns to Bucky, absent mindedly brushes a loose strand of hair from his face. He’s been so scared of being alone, of having nothing to live for, but now Dr. Banner’s here, offering him companionship, a chance at a future beyond wandering around scavenging to survive. He knows he should be thrilled, that he shouldn’t think twice about it, but yet…

With a sigh, he grabs Bucky’s hand, mindful of the IV port taped there. He’d go on, but there’s a very high chance he’d be doing it without Bucky. And sure, he’d have Dr. Banner, even Tony, but it’s not the same. They’re strangers, and frankly, even if they were Steve’s close personal friends, it wouldn’t matter, because they aren’t Bucky. Bucky has been a part of his life since they were kids. They’ve been together through this whole nightmare, and Steve can’t really picture going forward without him. If he loses Bucky, he’s not sure he’ll want to go on. Bucky’s the last remnant of his old life he has. Without him, he doesn’t know if carrying on is worth it.

He feels tears slip down his cheeks and is suddenly very thankful to be alone. Or at least he thinks he’s alone, until a voice startles him.

“Steve?” it’s weak, quiet, but there.

“Hey, Buck”, Steve quickly wipes his tears.

“What’s happening?”

“It’s okay”, Steve tells him, “there are people...they’re going to help us. We’re safe.”

“Why’re you crying?”

“It’s nothing”, Steve replies, “I’m just relieved.”

“Oh”.

Bucky’s lucid at the moment, and Steve feels like he should be telling him the truth. He doesn’t see the point in that though. It’s probably not going to last long, and why spoil what could be his last clear headed moments with the news he’s most likely going to die?

“I’m tired”, Bucky says.

“You should sleep”, Steve tells him, “it’s okay. I’ll be here when you wake up.”  
Bucky yawns and settles in, letting his eyes droop closed. Christ, what is Steve going to do without him?  
-  
Steve spends the night in Bucky’s room, drifting in and out of fitful slumber. There’s moments when he approaches the border between wakefulness and sleep, where things seem neither real nor imagined, and it’s peaceful. It never lasts long though, because either he snaps back to reality, or he ends up falling asleep, and then wakes up a little bit later to find himself back in the real world. He doesn’t know how long it’s been when Dr. Banner bursts in, but when he does, Steve’s jerking back to alertness.

“I have an idea”, Dr. Banner says, “but it’s risky.”

Steve straightens up in the chair. Risky is bad, but doing nothing and letting Bucky die is worse.

“Tell me.”


End file.
